Redmond, Wa., USA - December 21, 2012, Redmond, Wa., USA - Univar, a global chemical distributor, announces that executive chairman John J. Zillmer will retire from the company, effective December 28, 2012.
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Mr. Zillmer joined Univar in October 2009 and has served as Univar's Executive Chairman since May 2012. From October 2009 to May 2012, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer. He has also been a director since October 2009. From 2005 to December 2008, Mr. Zillmer served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Allied Waste Industries, a solid waste management business, which merged with Republic Services, Inc. in December 2008.
From 1986 to 2004, Mr. Zillmer served as Executive Vice President of ARAMARK Corporation, a provider of food, uniform and support services. During his 18-year career with ARAMARK, Mr. Zillmer served as President of ARAMARK’s Business Services division, the International division and the Food and Support Services group.
Prior to joining ARAMARK, Mr. Zillmer was employed by Szabo Food Services until Szabo was acquired by ARAMARK in 1986. Mr. Zillmer is a director of Ecolab Inc. and Reynolds American, Inc. Mr. Zillmer previously served on the boards of Allied Waste Industries, Inc., Casella Waste Systems, Inc., Pathmark Stores Inc. and United Stationers Inc. Mr. Zillmer earned an MBA from the Kellogg School at Northwestern University.
William S. Stavropoulos will assume the role of Chairman of the Board.
Mr. Stavropoulos has served as Univar’s Lead Director since May 2012 and was non-executive chairman from November 2010 to May 2012. Since 2006, he has been an Advisory Partner to Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, a global private equity firm. Mr. Stavropoulos is currently Chairman Emeritus of the board of directors of The Dow Chemical Company, a diversified chemical company.
From 2000 to 2006, he served as Chairman of Dow; from 2002 to 2004 he was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer; from 1995 to 2000 he was President and Chief Executive Officer; and from 1993 to 1995, he was President and Chief Operating Officer. In a career spanning 39 years at Dow, Mr. Stavropoulos also served in a variety of positions in research, marketing and general management and was a member of the board of directors of Dow from July 1990 to March 2006.
He is a director of Teradata Corporation, Maersk Inc., and Tyco International, Inc., and is on the Advisory Board for Metalmark Capital LLC. He is a trustee to the Fidelity Group of Funds. Mr. Stavropoulos is the President and Founder of the Michigan Baseball Foundation. Mr. Stavropoulos is past Chairman of the American Chemistry Council, Society of Chemical Industry, and American Plastics Council. ■